Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska

County Distress Index: Elevated · 59.2 | 7,361 people · 7th most distressed in Alaska
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Northwest Arctic Borough, AK registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 59.2 — 893rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Alaska, it ranks 7th of 30 counties. Among its 3 neighboring counties, 2 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Northwest Arctic Borough's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 82.5 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 82.5
Unemployment Rate 95
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 57
Business Formation Rate 95
Income & Poverty 69.1
Poverty Rate 82
Income vs. State Median 51
Child Poverty Rate 73
Debt & Delinquency 53.3
Debt in Collections 85
Medical Debt 73
Student Loan Delinquency 53
Auto Loan Delinquency 9
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5
Community Vulnerability 50.0
Uninsured Rate 95
Disability Rate 5
Housing Cost Burden 41.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 7
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 6
Homeownership Rate 93
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Northwest Arctic Borough compares to its 3 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Northwest Arctic Borough
Northwest Arctic Borough, AK 59.2 Elevated —
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK 65.9 Serious +6.8
Nome Census Area, AK 56.3 Elevated -2.9
North Slope Borough, AK 37.6 Normal -21.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Northwest Arctic Borough
Newton County, AR 59.3 Elevated +0.1
Concho County, TX 59.3 Elevated +0.1
Hamilton County, TX 59.0 Elevated -0.1
Warren County, GA 59.4 Elevated +0.2
Collingsworth County, TX 58.9 Elevated -0.3

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Northwest Arctic Borough as a CSV file.

Find Help in Northwest Arctic Borough

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Alaska Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 907-272-7469

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Legal aid organizations serving Northwest Arctic Borough residents at no cost.

Alaska Legal Services Corporation (ALSC) 1-888-478-2572

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska?

    Northwest Arctic Borough has a County Distress Index score of 59.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 893rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 7th in Alaska out of 30 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Northwest Arctic Borough?

    The primary driver of distress in Northwest Arctic Borough is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 82.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Northwest Arctic Borough compare to neighboring counties?

    Northwest Arctic Borough (59.2) can be compared to its 3 neighboring counties: Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK (65.9); Nome Census Area, AK (56.3); North Slope Borough, AK (37.6).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Northwest Arctic Borough?

    Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska has a population of approximately 7,361 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.